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Cars will soon cost more in the capital, with the Delhi Assembly on Thursday passing an amendment Bill providing for an ad valoreum tax on private non-commercial vehicles. Under the Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2004, up to two per cent of the cost price will be payable as one-time ad valoreum for private vehicles costing up to Rs 4 lakh. For vehicles costing more than Rs 4 lakh, the ad valoreum tax will be four per cent of the cost price. In case of diesel cars, the ad valoreum tax will be in addition to the two per cent environment cess already imposed by the Delhi government on such vehicles. The Delhi government expects to earn an additional revenue of Rs 50 crore per annum from the ad valoreum tax, to be implemented as early as this month. "The amendment is part of the strategy to control the number of private vehicles on Delhi's roads," Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf told the House. He informed that during April 2003-March 2004, 1,04,286 cars and 1,54,055 two-wheelers were registered in the capital. "This means that 348 private cars and 513 two-wheelers are being registered daily in this city," Yusuf said. He said the amendment will not affect the middle classes but have the effect of increasing tax revenue through contributions by affluent residents of the city. Meanwhile, the House on Thursday also passed the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Bill, 2004, along with the amendments carried out in it according to the direction of the President. The Bill provides for preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains other than those declared to be of national importance in Delhi. Source : Economic Times (12/16/04)

WagonR holds more APEAL than Santro

Indian car owners seem to be happy with the performance, execution and layout of their new vehicles. For the sixth year in a row, JD Power Asia Pacific’s Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) study showed an improvement in the total tally to 780 points out of 1,000, up 15 index points. The study which scans owner response to design, content, layout and performance of new vehicles, pitches the Maruti WagonR on top of the compact car heap at 796 points, displacing four-time top scorer Hyundai Santro to the second position at 790 points. The Maruti Zen at 787 points is the third in the pecking order. Interestingly, all three models score more than the industry average for the segment: 782 points, making the compact segment the only one to do so.In the entry mid-size segment, the Maruti Esteem at 806 points is the top scorer followed by the Ford Ikon and Tata Indigo at 785 and 771 points, respectively. The industry average for this segment is 781 points. In the midsize segment, the Honda City was on top with 809 points, the only model over the industry average of 800 points. The Maruti Baleno at 792 points and the Hyundai Accent at 786 points make up the rest of the list. In the premium mid-size segment, the Toyota Corolla at 822 tops the list with the highest APEAL score across all segments: 822 points. The Chevrolet Optra at 816 and the Skoda Octavia at 804 are the other two while the segment average is 815 points. In the MUV/SUV segment, the Tata Safari tops with 820 points followed by the Toyota Qualis at 800 and the Mahindra Bolero at 775 points. The segment average is 773 points. Source : Economic Times (12/16/04)

Suzuki to lift covers off New SUV Concept

Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced it will preview its first ever midsize SUV concept, named ‘Concept X’ at the up and coming North American International Auto Show. Designed specifically for the ever growing American market, the adventure inspired Concept X, draws on versatility, functionality, safety, performance and ‘infotainment’, as key features in the design of the vehicle. Along with its muscular styling and daring interior and exterior design, the highlights of Suzuki’s newest concept also includes a V6 engine with class-leading horsepower and a new full time four wheel drive system combining on demand and low range ability with typical all wheel drive efficiency. The ‘Concept X’ forms part of the next generation of Suzuki vehicles, which include the new Suzuki Swift and an all new Grand Vitara, due for release in Australia next year. The ‘Concept X’ will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show on 10th January 2005 Source : Autoindex.org (12/17/04)